Wailana brings the ‘wow’ factor

November 16, 2014

Story By: Yu Shing Ting |

Since its opening almost 50 years ago, Wailana Coffee House continues to be a favorite for locals and visitors from around the world.

Conveniently located on the corner of Ala Moana Boulevard and Ena Road, across from Hilton Hawaiian Village, the landmark, family-friendly eatery offers an extensive menu of local-style food and American classics, including many of its original dishes from when the restaurant first opened in 1969.

Among the longtime favorites is Oxtail Soup ($11.25, comes with all-you-can-eat salad bar or soup of the day), a Thursday special, which sometimes sells out by the end of the day.

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“We serve it from 11 a.m. until we run out,” explains Neal Aoki, floor supervisor.

Oxtail Soup ($11.25) L. FRIEL PHOTO

Fried Ice Cream ($5.75) R. BREIT PHOTO

Also popular is Jamboree Breakfast ($8.75, available all day), which consists of all-you-can-eat pancakes, two eggs (any style), and your choice of bacon, Portuguese sausage, Vienna sausage, link sausage or Spam. The meal also includes a drink (coffee, tea or soda), and for just $1.25 more, you can upgrade the pancakes to banana pancakes, blueberry pancakes, coconut pancakes, macadamia nut pancakes or pineapple pancakes.

For dessert, Fried Ice Cream ($5.75), which was added to the menu about two years ago, is a sweet ending to your meal. Made with vanilla ice cream encrusted in pastry dough, and deep fried, it’s topped with whipped cream, chocolate syrup and a Maraschino cherry.

In addition to its large menu and tasty comfort food offered at a great value, Wailana is known for its convenient hours (open 24 hours a day, except for one night of the week from 10 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday) and friendly staff. Locally-owned and operated, the casual diner also recently completed major renovations to its interior, including new carpeting, countertops and kitchen appliances.

“We’re a casual, family-run, family-oriented restaurant with a nice mixture of customers,” says Aoki. “And we’ve always valued the restaurant’s founder Francis Tom, who passed down the restaurant operations to his children. They possess hospitality that they’ve shared not just with their customers, but the business, their co-workers and employees.”